New Alaska Sheep Regulations

[SJ-AK]

I have read enough posts from Stid, Synd, Bambi, etc over the years that I feel confident that we agree on the issues as many other informed residents do. The problem is we can't get anything done. After years of beating our heads against the BOG wall nothing significantly has changed. I am not sure what else we can do. It is very frustrating to see business as usual while sheep numbers and eventually opportunity decline.

 

[Snyd]

Non-Alasksan Roksliders---- We have been going around this sheep thing for years in Alaska. The bottom line is this.... Alaska sells an unlimited number of NR sheep tags each year and this drives the guide industry. Guys are lined up for years to hunt here and it's not for the lack of tags. It's a cash cow the state will not touch. It comes down to $$$ and politics. That's why you see things like the 1:4 deal. It won't affect the Guide Industry one bit. It's a political "feel good" move that does nothing to help solve any problem.

It's also why when one of you hire a guide and show up on your Alaska Dream hunt with a "30 year Registered Master Guide" chances are more likely than not that you will be hunting with one of his non-resident assistant guides. Perhaps a 20 YO College kid and his first or second time in the Sheep Mtns. So, the state makes you, a NR pay $15000 because you're a NR to hunt with a NR. Your "30 year Registered Master Guide" may only be the guy flying you out to base camp and back to the airport.

It's good business for the guide outfit. Guides can hire as many assistant guides as they want. The Registered Guide himself is NOT required to accompany the client in field. Do the math.

The State needs to limit the number of NR tags and I'd go as far to say that the Registered Guide should have to accompany his client(s) in the field. There are some Guides here in Alaska who do just that but not all.

If you can afford it, come to Alaska and kill a ram. If you're coming through Fairbanks shoot me a pm ahead of time and I'll greet you with a smile. I've done it before.

peace

 

[AK Troutbum]

Dayyyyum, Mr Bob. I was still crapping in my pants when The Peanut Farmer locked up all the good land in state parks...

Dayyyyum Steve, how old were you before you were potty trained???

Steve, I am sorry to unload about this. I sometimes forget that I am twice everyones age here!!!
Thanks a lot for reminding me!!! (smiley goes here!!!!!)

Twice the age of Steve? That would put you over 100. I sure hope that you weren't crapping in your pants, like Steve was, well into his teenage years.

Sorry Steve, I'm just trying to lighten things up a little bit. I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying, and as far as the age thing, I'm right there with you brother although, I don't think I've crapped my pants since I was about two. Just give me a few more years, I'm sure I'll be doing it again before too long.

 

[Nick Muche]

Almost double NoK hunters last year when compared to guided NR's. Making NoK's harvest count against the Resident who took them bag limit is a great way to reduce NR. The 1 in 4 helped in that regard as well while not hurting the guides.

Residents wanted reduced NR pressure, they got it. Guides didn't want to give up anything, they didn't. I think that the results of yesterday's deliberation was a win for both parties involved and the only ones who "lost" were those without any stake in the game.

 

[snowcamoman]

But the kids look to have possibly won. That's a great thing and should help the next generation. If the kids get out there and have a good time in areas with healthy numbers of rams, that's great. If a few of those kids end up taking some boomers in guided areas, that'll be even more exceptional.

 

[Nick Muche]

The Kids definitely won, that's a great thing!

 

[ChrisS]

All you have to do is pony up the bucks and hire a guide to the tune of about $12-15,000. Your chances of success are HIGHER than us residents.

Can residents not hire guides?

Just repeal the guide requirement and cap the tags to a draw. Why would that be suicide for an AK state politician? Surely there are more resident hunters than guides.

Just reducing NR tags to 10% is going to make the total cost to hunt sheep skyrocket and the guides will have an even larger reason to protect their racket.

 

[snowcamoman]

It's VooDoo science, just like Global Warming. Don't try to use logic or a reasonable solution to the problem, it'll fail as it has in the past.

 

[Stid2677]

Dayyyyum Steve, how old were you before you were potty trained???



Twice the age of Steve? That would put you over 100. I sure hope that you weren't crapping in your pants, like Steve was, well into his teenage years.

Sorry Steve, I'm just trying to lighten things up a little bit. I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying, and as far as the age thing, I'm right there with you brother although, I don't think I've crapped my pants since I was about two. Just give me a few more years, I'm sure I'll be doing it again before too long.

Okay maybe I exaggerated a bit,, skid marks for sure though.

 

[mtnclimber]

Dang boys this turned out into the quite the discussion. It's a crap show for sure. I just can't wait until August to chase Rams.

Best of luck to yall!

 

[adventure907]

Dang boys this turned out into the quite the discussion. It's a crap show for sure. I just can't wait until August to chase Rams.

Best of luck to yall!

You are right man, August can't come soon enough. I might actually get a chance to chase sheep around for myself this year, so I am excited to say the least.

I wish you luck mtnclimber, but how ya gonna top last years ram? lol

 

[Snyd]

A couple guys have said.... "just do away with the guide requirement", etc. That will never happen. The Genie is out of the bottle. Or, limit NR tags. won't happen either. The state wants the Industry. And, especially now when you look the price of oil, the State having $$ problems. There is talk of an income or sales tax, etc. One or the other will happen eventually. The hunting/fishing guide industry is potentially a large source of tax revenue.

This whole thing comes down to dollars guys.... $heep

 

[Yellowknife]

i'm an ex-Alaskan, have enjoyed the sheep mountains many times. I'll likely try to get up there to take one more ram. With the opportunity dwindling I'll probably get on it. My son stayed in AK when the family moved out, so I hunt with him as I did when I was an Alaskan.

Broomd,

Not sure if you picked up on this, but it effects you and your son. This was passed yesterday also:

 

[Stid2677]

Broomd,

Not sure if you picked up on this, but it effects you and your son. This was passed yesterday also:

This and the 1 in 4 rule is going to really effect a lot of folks I know.

 

[mtnclimber]

You are right man, August can't come soon enough. I might actually get a chance to chase sheep around for myself this year, so I am excited to say the least.

I wish you luck mtnclimber, but how ya gonna top last years ram? lol

I'm dumping whitetail feed into the mountains. Growing them myself now ya know. Got me a dall sheep moultree feeder.

 

[Yellowknife]

This and the 1 in 4 rule is going to really effect a lot of folks I know.

I have split feelings on this one. I'm very much pro family hunting trips and have nothing at all against the guys who take advantage of the opportunity. On the flip side though, the 2nd degree of kindred hunters have been getting a free ride with relatively little given to the state in return for a long time. This is nearly certainly going to cut back on NR pressure, as well as a few of the residents that would have accompanied them. Something needed to give, and this appeared to be the compromise that the BOG is willing to do this year. If family wants to come up and sheep hunt, they still technically can. Practically speaking, I'm sure that the rules passed this week will deter quite a few.

Yk

 

[Stid2677]

I have split feelings on this one. I'm very much pro family hunting trips and have nothing at all against the guys who take advantage of the opportunity. On the flip side though, the 2nd degree of kindred hunters have been getting a free ride with relatively little given to the state in return for a long time. This is nearly certainly going to cut back on NR pressure, as well as a few of the residents that would have accompanied them. Something needed to give, and this appeared to be the compromise that the BOG is willing to do this year. If family wants to come up and sheep hunt, they still technically can. Practically speaking, I'm sure that the rules passed this week will deter quite a few.

Yk

Do you know how it was amended?

 

[Broomd]

Broomd,

Not sure if you picked up on this, but it effects you and your son. This was passed yesterday also:

Thanks for posting YK. Frankly I think that is a great proposal.
We've never taken more than one ram off of the mountain per hunt/year as an Ak resident family anyway.

There are some great comments here, Perry, Steve...others.
It is absolutely a 'follow the money' scenario and really disgusting. The state, transporters, (a subject for another thread), non-res guides.

One thing I have found though...After becoming a non-resident I noticed the passion of sheep hunting for those going to Alaska to chase to sheep.
People think that these are rich doctors and lawyers with money to burn....not the case. There are those fellas, but many of the guided clientele are younger, hard working blue collar guys who save long and hard for that opportunity. These are guys that are up at o'dark-thirty running down the lower 48 road with their packs on...training in mud races throughout the year. These guys aren't coming to AK to go home empty handed!

I've sheep hunted as heard as anyone on this forum, but in the end I headed back to Fairbanks to get to work (as a teacher), with the possibility of returning to the mountians or tundra for sheep, caribou, goat, moose, blacktail, etc. The thought of not harvesting wasn't the end of the world. Although we got after it pretty hard.
These non-res fellas don't have that thinking--they are all in. 20K makes for A LOT of incentive.

 

[Stid2677]

Thanks for posting YK. Frankly I think that is a great proposal.
We've never taken more than one ram off of the mountain per hunt/year as an Ak resident family anyway.

There are some great comments here, Perry, Steve...others.
It is absolutely a 'follow the money' scenario and really disgusting. The state, transporters, (a subject for another thread), non-res guides.

One thing I have found though...After becoming a non-resident I noticed the passion of sheep hunting for those going to Alaska to chase to sheep.
People think that these are rich doctors and lawyers with money to burn....not the case. There are those fellas, but many of the guided clientele are younger, hard working blue collar guys who save long and hard for that opportunity. These are guys that are up at o'dark-thirty running down the lower 48 road with their packs on...training in mud races throughout the year. These guys aren't coming to AK to go home empty handed!

I've sheep hunted as heard as anyone on this forum, but in the end I headed back to Fairbanks to get to work (as a teacher), with the possibility of returning to the mountians or tundra for sheep, caribou, goat, moose, blacktail, etc. The thought of not harvesting wasn't the end of the world. Although we got after it pretty hard.
These non-res fellas don't have that thinking--they are all in. 20K makes for A LOT of incentive.

Well stated!! My issue has always been not with these guys, I have met and helped many,, my beef is with the so called "guides" that prey on them and cheat, lie and steal.

Anyone that wants to hunt guided animals in Alaska should really do your research. There are many great guides, but there are many thieves calling themselves guides too.

 

[Yellowknife]

Do you know how it was amended?

The second part of the proposal allowing a NR to take guide required species on behalf of a resident permit holder was struck down. Only the portion I posted passed.